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R. JONES.

Y GAB. GOUPLING. No. 342,517. Patented May 25, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN lJONES, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF TIIREEFOURTIIS TOCHARLES A. SINDALL, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342.517, dated IVIay25,1886.

Application filed February (i, 1886. Serial No. 191,068. (No inodcLl lTo @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN JONES, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State 5, ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art ro to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. i This invention relates to that classof drawgear inwhich the draw-heads of railway-ears are coupled by means of a pin ineach drawhead and a link connecting the two pins; and the objects of myimprovements are to facili- 2o tate the coupling of cars and lessen thedanger to the person doing it. The objection to this form of draw-gear,as heretofore used, is that to couple cars a person must go betweenthem, thus endangering his life and limbs, and for the same reason theprocess is slow and uncertain.

The object of my invention is, therefore, to so improve the details ofconstruction as to form a patentable improvement on this class 3o ofdraw-gear as heretofore constructed.

My invention therefore consists in the means by which I operate the linkand pins without going between the cars, as hereinafter fully described,and then specifically stated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of one draw-headwith its mechanism in the position shown in the left-hand draw-head inFig. 3. Fig. 2 is a horizontal io section, Y to Z, Fig. 1, but notshowing the pin or ball. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe proximate ends of two drawheads and their internal mechanism. Fig. 4is a perspective of a portion of a car, showing the draw-head and theexternal mechanism.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

In these figures, A represents a draw-head, B the link, and G the pin.In the rear of the opening c is a smalleropening, a, which will admitneither the link nor the ball D. In this opening is hinged thelink-lifter E by being securely fastened to the rocking shaft F, whichpasses through the neck of the draw-head in the rear of the opening forthe link. linlclifteris forked, as shown in Fig. 2, to allow it to passthe pin and extend to a point near the mouth of the draw-head.

In the interior of the draw-head isa ball, D, which is somewhat largerthan the smaller di- 6c mension of the opening of the draw-head at itsmouth. To accommodate this ball, the interior of the draw-head isenlarged at the top sufficiently to allow the ball to pass entirely outof the way ofthe link after it has entered the draw-head,and to roll bygravitation when the link is withdrawn to a position directly under thepin. This movement of the ballis facilitated bythe link-lifter E beingmade thinner at iis outer end and the inner edges 7o of the forked armsbeing made to diverge, thus forming an inclined plane, on which the ballwill roll to the position in which it will support the pin.

extend nearly or quite to one or both sides of the car, preferably toboth sides, and having within easy and safe reaching distance of theside of the car a bent end or other handle, by which the link-liftermaybe raised from its So position in the bottom of the draw head. Thisrocking shaft is provided with supportingbearingsff near its outerends,and joints ff on either side of and near the draw-head to allow thelongitudinal movement of the draw-head Without bending or springing therocking shaft. Above and parallel with the rocking shaft F is anotherrocking shaft, G, which is shown in Fig. 4L, and which is provided atits ends with handles g g, by which 9o it may be actuated. At a point onthis shaft directly over the draw-head is an arm, g', extending to apoint over the pin D, to which it is connected by a chain or rod, butpreferably by a chain. This shaft is supported and attached to the endof the car by bearings y" g. The operation of this device will bereadily understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

The 55- The rocking shaft F is sufficiently long to 75 The pin, afterhaving been partially withdrawn by turning the handle g in the directionindicated by the arrow, is supported by the ball, as shown,in theleft-hand draw-head, Fig. 3, the ball coming to that position by themeans before described. In the other drawhead is the link, on the innerend of which rests the ball, thus keeping it in contact with thelink-lifter. As the draw-heads approach each other the operator,standing at the side ofthe car, lifts the link by means of thelinklifter and its connections until its outer end will enter theopposite draw-head, as shown in Fig. 3. One ball restingron the rear endof the link, the point of contact being an inclined plane, will assistthe link in keeping its position in forcing back the ball that supportsthe pin in the opposite draw-head, thus allowing the pin to drop, whichcompletes the process of coupling the cars. To uncouple them again, itis only necessary to turn, as described, the handle g cn the ear fromwhich itis desired to release the link.

The rocking shaft G and its connections for raising the link are notessential to the operation Yof the other devices herein described, asthe pin may be previously withdrawn by hand; or the ball B might bedispensed with andthe pin be controlled entirely by the rocking shaft Gand its connections; or both the rocking shaft and ball may be dispensedwith and the pin be set in an inclined position in the hole, so that thefriction caused by its weight and leverage would sustain it in thedesired posi tion until the concussion of the drawheads should relieveit of that friction and allow it to drop; but the preferred way is touse both, the ball especially being of very great advantage to theproper operation of other elements ofthe invention.

I do not claim, broadly, a device consisting of a link-lifter, rockingshaft, and handle or lever at the side of the car, as I am aware thatvarious devices have been employed to raise l[he link in coupling cars,some of them being placed in the interior of the draw-head, but in frontof the pin, and operated by a shaft eX- tending to the side of the car.My device is different from any of these, is less likely to get out oforder by use, and more effectual in its operation, inasmuch as it ishinged in the neck of the draw-head, by reason of which that portion isnot liable to injury by contact with the link, and as it extends thencenearlyto the balancing-point of the link, the rear end of which beingheld firmly on the lifter,the link is lifted bodily and the ball assistsit in resisting the effect of any accidental contact with the draw-heador other obstruction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is*

l. In the draw-gear of a railway-car, the combination of the draw-head,pin, and link with the link-lifter formed of a singlepiece pivoted inthe neck of the drawhead and forked at its outer end to permit itsextension beyond the pin,and the rocking shaft by which it is operated,substantially as described.

2. In the draw-gear of a railway-car, the combination ofa link-li fterrecessed and hinged in the neck of the draw-head and forked to allow itsextension to a point beyond the pin, and having its upper surfaceinclined toward the mouth of the draw-head, and aball arranged to holddown the rear end of the link, and on the withdrawal of the link to rollto a point directly under and supporting the pin, substantially asshown.

3. In the drawgcar of a railway-car, the combination 0f a draw-head andpin with the rocking shaft G, having arm g', connected by chain or rodwith the pin, and at its ends handles or levers to actuate it, alink-lifter, and a .ball arranged to roll under and support the pin,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REUBEN JONES.

Vitnesses:

L. B. V. WooLLnY, Gno. S. LoWNDns.

